


A Saga In The Courtroom

by Eryiss



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: 5+1 Things, Domestic Fluff, First Meeting, Flirting, Fluff, Gay Male Character, Happy Ending, M/M, Modern AU, References to Sex, Teasing, Writing request, fraxus, lawyer AU, referenced crime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29365695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eryiss/pseuds/Eryiss
Summary: Freed's life had been dominated by his career in criminal law. He had become well known as a vicious and effective prosecution lawyer, and delighted in that reputation. But when Laxus Dreyar, his old rival's son, is placed in charge of the defence's legal team, Freed finds his perfectly constructed life suddenly off balance.Or: Five Times the Courtroom Brought Freed Closer to Laxus, and The One Time He Didn't Need It
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar/Freed Justine
Kudos: 28





	A Saga In The Courtroom

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a request from tumblr user _[@Fuckyeahfraxus.](https://fuckyeahfraxus.tumblr.com/)_ , who wanted a lawyer AU, with defence attorney Laxus and prosecutor Freed. I hope you all like it, and if you wish to make a writing requst then you can put in a comment or contact me through [my tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**A Saga in The Courtroom**

_**Or: Five Times the Courtroom Brought Freed Closer to Laxus, and The One Time He Didn't Need It** _

**1: When He First Saw Him**

The manic sounds of heels clicking against the marble floor echoed through the corridor, and Freed looked up from his papers with a small frown. The corridors of Magnolia's courthouse were usually a deadly calm place in the moments before a trial, reflective of the seriousness of what was to happen. In his years of practicing law, Freed had become accommodated to the quietness of a pre-trial; it gave him time look over his evidence, build up his adrenaline, and to reaffirm his talking points. Doing so had become habit, so to have someone breaking it was irritating.

As he looked up, the irritation quickly turned to misunderstanding. His second-in-command, Evergreen, was the source of the noise. She had a panicked expression painted across her features, and was looking directly toward Freed. The lawyer placed his papers to the side, standing up and looking at her with thinly vailed confusion.

"Have you seen who the defence hired?" She demanded in place of a greeting. She seemed worried.

"No. Who?"

"Dreyar," She said, eyes wide with concern, and Freed's frown deepened. That didn't make sense.

Ivan Dreyar had been a prolific defence lawyer, up until three months ago. He had gained the reputation of 'the fixer', the man that any criminal could go to no matter obvious of their guilt, to get an innocent verdict. He had a near undefeated record – something which had irked Freed intensely – until his disbarment and the retraction of his legal practices. Apparently, the reason for his run of successful cases was that he had contact with someone in the courthouse who always scheduled his cases with judges willing to take bribes.

All of his trials were suddenly put into questions, and a criminal prosecution had been laid against him. Freed hadn't followed along with the proceedings, but should a prosecution lawyer be needed to take him to jail, Freed would be happy to put forward his name, but he didn't bother paying attention to the story any more than that. But if he had regained his legal career, Freed felt he would have heard of it.

"Ivan?" He asked. "He lost his licence."

"No, his son," Evergreen hissed, expression still panicked. "Laxus."

"I didn't know he had a son," Freed frowned.

He always preferred knowing about the defence beforehand, as they all had weaknesses that he could exploit. He'd gotten complacent about having this upper hand as he knew almost all the defence lawyers who regularly practiced in Magnolia – and his exploitation of the cracks in their armour had gotten him the reputation of a force to be reckoned with – so having someone who he didn't know was near unprecedented.

Of course he still felt sure he would win the case. The accused had a lot of evidence of fraud against him, almost all of it irrefutable, and his character would hardly win over the jury nor the judge. This case was open and shut, no matter who was in charge of the defence; but it couldn't hurt to know more.

"What do you know about him?" Freed requested, sitting on the bench again.

"He's good, apparently," Evergreen informed, sitting beside Freed. "He got into law school a few years later than normal, which is probably why you haven't heard of him. He's new, but got a good win-lose rate. Apparently he's ferocious."

"Probably has the same tactic as his father," Freed muttered. "Who's the judge?"

"Porlyusica," Evergreen said after checking her note.

"Well, she's at least not going to take a bribe, so it'll be fair," Freed nodded to himself. "Which means we've got as good a chance as we have with any other case. We've got a good plan, a lot more evidence than should be necessary, and so long as we don't make any mistakes then we'll win. Now, I think we should-"

"Shit, there he is," Evergreen hissed.

Freed looked up again, to see a small procession of people walking down the corridor and towards the courtroom. At the front of the group was a member of Fairy Tail's defence team that Freed had seen often but never learned the name of. Behind him was the accused man, who was swaggering with far too much bravado for Freed's linking. At the back of the group was, Freed assumed, Laxus Dreyar.

Well, there wasn't much resemblance between father and son. Because Laxus was beautiful.

He stood tall, and walked with a proud stride. In the well-cut blue suit he chose to wear, his broad shoulders and barrel chest were obvious. He had a sharp, well formed chin, a serious expression, striking blue eyes, and bright blonde hair. He was the picture of a handsome blonde; the type of man Freed liked.

Freed watched as he got closer, gaze more analytical than appreciative now, because they were opponents now. He was speaking with his client under his breath, flicking through his files as he walked. He seemed to be the type of man who could walk into a room like he owned it, but Freed wasn't intimidated by that. Confidence and a pretty face could only get a man so far. Freed had more than that.

He was going to win, he was sure of that, and so he looked back to his papers to make sure his plans were as undeniable as they always were. That lasted a little while, before a presence made itself known.

"Freed Justine, right?" A low, rumbling voice shook Freed out of his thoughts.

He looked up to see Laxus standing above him, looking down with an unreadable expression. Freed quickly snapped his folder shut, even though Laxus didn't seem to be looking down at it. He placed it to the side, stood up again and offered Laxus a hand to shake.

"Correct," Freed nodded as Laxus took his hand and shook it. "And you must be Ivan's son."

"Yeah, I am," Laxus nodded. "The old man talked about you a lot; said you were a pain in his ass."

"Coming from a man like him, that's high praise," Freed smiled cynically, and Laxus chuckled.

"Well I ain't like him," The defence lawyer stated, removing his hand from Freed's. "I play fair."

He took a step back and ran a hand through his hair; he really was good looking. And the way his biceps were visible through the jacket of his suit was rather delightful; how this man had the same blood as the wrinkled shrew that was Ivan Dreyar, Freed couldn't be sure. But he couldn't be distracted, so he spoke again.

"Then you'll lose," Freed smirked, crossing his arms confrontationally.

Laxus scoffed. "I doubt it."

"Well I was trouble for a man who bribed his way to success," Freed laughed, taking a step towards Laxus in a small display of confrontation. "So a man who claims to actually practice law legally should be no trouble, don't you think?"

Laxus laughed, and had a glint in his eye. He hadn't risen to the bait, but seemed almost amused by it.

"I'm gonna enjoy beating you," Laxus grinned.

"Will you?" Freed matched the expression. "Well you'll have a long wait, I'm afraid."

Laxus laughed, still amused, and it brought out a competitive fire that Freed was unfamiliar with. Laxus seemed cocky and confident in his victory, openly goading Freed into competition, and it was something that Freed hadn't experienced for years. The reputation he'd gained was no doubt a useful thing, making people fearful to enter a courtroom against him, but it meant that the competitive aspect of his job that had been so prevalent when he was younger had long since gone. Freed hadn't missed this part of his job for – or at least he hadnt realised he missed it – but seeing the arrogant challenge in the other man's stance made Freed's blood boil in an oddly satisfying way.

"I'll see you in there then," Laxus grinned, taking a step back. Just before turning, he looked Freed in the eye and, with a patronising voice, spoke. "Good luck."

As he retreated, Freed smirked. He was going to destroy that man, and enjoy doing so.

* * *

**2: When He First Lost to Him.**

With more animation than necessary, Freed slammed his empty glass on the bartop. He was filled with an angry adrenaline, a feeling that he hadn't lost from the moment the scam artist he had been prosecuting walked away without any punishment. He knew the woman was guilty – one look at her sneering face and the disregard she showed for the victims made that clear – but he hadn't been able to get the conviction.

Fucking police; how had they managed to track down the woman but not provide any tangible evidence for him to use? Freed expected a certain level of incompetence from Magnolia's police force, but this was ridiculous. He could murder that damned detective; his entire career was shambolic and now Freed was being dragged down by it.

Worse still, he'd lost to Laxus fucking Dreyar.

Over the two months of knowing one another, they had argued in court four times. The first three times, Freed had won. Three convictions, three criminals put to justice. Through those cases, a rivalry had formed between them both. It was by no means as antagonistic as some defence and prosecution lawyers had – Freed knew that his personal opinion of the man had to be put to the side when people's lives were at risk, and he expected Laxus did too – but his streak of victories was something he had happily lauded over the blonde. And now he had lost a case that should have been easy.

"It happens," Evergreen consoled, sitting beside him. "It's not like this is your first loss ever, right?"

"She was guilty, and everyone can see it," Freed grunted, gesturing to the barkeep to fill his glass. "I should call for that detective to resign; how is it that someone intrusted with a towns safety can mislabel evidence? It's ridiculous."

"He's never been particularly good at his job," Evergreen agreed, leaning against the bar with a small frown on her face. "But it's not the end of the world, when we win the next case you'll be back to your normal self."

"That's hardly helpful now, is it?" Freed snapped.

Freed knew that he was being a little churlish in his reaction, he couldn't win every case and thinking otherwise was naïve. But these cases were meant to be open and shut, an easy win that wouldn't take up much time nor effort. And due to other people's incompetence, he had lost. The burden of proof had been too taxing, and he had let a guilty woman walk away. And then he'd had to endure that cocky grin from that fucking defence lawyer.

The arrogance of the man. Just as he was walking out the door, he turned his head and looked directly into Freed's eyes. He held the gaze, smirking and relishing in his victory, and had the damn gall to wink just before leaving. Were Freed less in control of himself, he might have struck the look off his face with a punch.

"You don't need to get snippy," Evergreen huffed, taking a sip of her brandy. "You couldn't have kept winning against him, it's good you've gotten it out of the way."

"He was so damned cocky about it," Freed grunted.

"And after you were so humble when you won," Evergreen laughed at her own sarcasm, and Freed gave her an unimpressed look. "You can't keep pouting all night, Freed. You lost; it happens. He was kind of a dick about it, so were you. Now get over yourself, you're a real drag when you're acting like this."

Freed went to open his mouth to say something in retort, but a low and deep chuckle brought his attention away. A shadow was cast over the bar and when Freed turned to see the cause of it, Laxus was standing there. Still in that blue suit that was far too snug, still wearing an expression that was far too punchable, still with those eyes that Freed seemed unable to escape when ensnared by them. Bastard: Freed had to wonder how cocky he would be if Freed emptied the drink over his head.

Something was wrong if Freed was even considering that. It was unprofessional and juvenile, even if it was tempting. Maybe it was the alcohol? Freed didn't normally drink after a case.

"Don't be too hard on him," Laxus spoke, voice smooth and sure of himself. It grated on Freed. "You know what it's like when a proud man is humiliated, he needs to lick his wounds."

"I was not humiliated," Freed growled, and he heard Evergreen sigh to his side. "I was given a case ran by an incompetent man who should have never been put in a position of authority. And let us be clear; defence is a lot easier than prosecution. I need to prove guilt and rely on the idiots in the police. You just have to say that I'm wrong and convince a gullible jury that perhaps there's a minuet chance that I might be wrong."

Laxus thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I think I'm gonna say you're humiliated, more fun that way. And that you cried, really makes it clear how bad you fucked up. Ugly crying too, where you can't stop and your breathin' gets all-"

Freed stood up from his chair, holding the glass of scotch in his hand. Laxus took a step back, amusement replacing the patronising expression on his face. Freed could feel Evergreen's hand on his back, perhaps in a comforting gesture or perhaps to hold him back should he try to do something stupid. His head spun a little, and he went to speak but Ever beat him too it.

"You can go," She said testily.

"You're right, that was too far," Laxus said in response. His voice lacked the sneer now, and he sounded almost genuine. "I actually came because I wanted to give a piece offering; the whole winking stunt I pulled was crappy of me. Sorry."

"And the best way to do that was to insult me?"

"Yeah, that wasn't my best move," Laxus chuckled a little, running a hand through his hair. "But I know you can take it. You'd done the same, and you know it. But that ain't what I'm here to say, what I do wanna say is that you did well. You got given shitty evidence and no witnesses, and you nearly got a win. It was impressive."

"I could've gotten a conviction," Freed grunted, placing his glass on the bartop again. "If I had more time, I would've convinced them."

"Perhaps, but she's innocent, so it's good you didn't," Laxus said, and Freed scoffed. "Don't misunderstand me, she was a crappy person and knew it was happening, but she wasn't the one doing it."

"Then who?" Freed asked, more humouring the man than believing him.

"Her mother, actually," Laxus said, a little amused. Freed frowned at the answer; though not part of the trial, Freed had met the mother. She didn't seem cruel enough to do such a scam. "Yeah, was a surprise to me too, she seemed so innocent when we met. But it turns out she'd been doing it all along – playing the old person who doesn't understand technology act – and threw her daughter under the bus. You can kinda see why she had such a bad attitude now, can't ya?"

"And what's to say the daughter wasn't lying?" Freed asked.

"Why would she? I have to defend her as best I can whether she's guilty or not, so why lie about it?" Laxus shrugged, nodding to the barman as he brought him a drink. "You saw what the mother was like today, right? All innocent and sweet, like the perfect grandma. I walked in on her talking to her daughter, she was cussing worse than I do. The daughter was crying pretty bad, kinda fucked up. Knew she was innocent after that."

Freed didn't say anything for a moment. He never enjoyed dwelling on the thought that he might have imprisoned an innocent person.

"She's talking to the police now," Laxus continued speaking. "We started building a case against the mother, in case we had to go to re-trial. We got a bit of evidence on her that works with what the police already have, so we think the mother's gonna be arrested pretty soon. You should look out for it, I bet you could take the old fucker down real easy."

"What if she wants you to defend her?" Freed asked.

"I got a right to say no; I don't wanna work for someone like that," Laxus said, taking a swig from his drink. "I gotta go soon, she's still shaken up. But let me buy you two a drink, a way to bury the hatchet, y'know."

"You needn't do-"

Freed was cut off by a kick to the shin from Evergreen, who quickly informed Laxus what she wanted; a more expensive brand of the scotch she normally drunk. Freed also said his own drinks order, a little resignedly as he wasn't a fan of charity, but Laxus seemed to have good intentions. It wasn't as if a single drink was going to sway Freed's opinion of the man, nor was it going to affect his working relationship. They were still on different sides, and no amount of brandy's was going to change that.

The drinks were placed before them both, and Laxus finished the rest of his own beverage. Freed only slightly paid attention to the bobbing Adam's Apple, and quickly diverted his attention away when Laxus moved to place his glass down. That wasn't appropriate.

"Well, I gotta go look after her," Laxus said, standing up now. "Oh, and just to warn ya, every time I win from now on, I'm gonna wink at ya. Really throws you off yer game, it's cute."

Laxus patted Freed on the shoulder twice, quickly retreating from the courthouse's bar before Freed could say anything. He watched as the man retreated, a little gobsmacked at the sudden and unexpected commented. He looked away as Laxus left the room, hoping that his expression wasn't as taken aback as he actually felt.

"Oh my god," Evergreen laughed. "You're blushing. I've never seen you blush before."

"Shut up," Freed snapped, putting his focus on the drink before him.

* * *

**3: When He First Conceded to Him**

Freed was practically immune to crying. In his line of work, people cried all the time. Sometimes it was people in an emotional crisis, who had witnessed or underwent something traumatic and were reliving it so that they could get justice. Sometimes it was a result of nervousness, and people felt too overcome by the pressure of a situation to fully be in control of their emotions. And sometimes they were crocodile tears, used to manipulate people into thinking a certain way. Freed had long since grown past being swayed by someone crying in a courtroom, which was his reaction to this particular person crying was so hard to understand.

The accused man was sitting in the dock, and he was crying. It wasn't a loud or obnoxious thing, rather silent tears accompanied by the occasional sniffle. The man wasn't trying to get sympathy or attention, he was simply distraught. And it was getting to Freed.

It shouldn't be.

Having the accused crying out of fear should be a good thing, a sure sign that he had won the case and gotten the jury on his side. But with every shuddering breath the man took, Freed felt a ball of guilt grow inside of him. Because once they won this case – which seemed like the only conclusion – the crying man would be known as a murder. He would lose his freedom, his life, his innocence. Freed was going to destroy his life, completely aware that he wasn't guilty.

Everyone who so much as looked at the case knew he was innocent. The police – as usual – were incompetent. They had found a man that they wanted to pin the blame on, and had done everything they could to prove their hunch right. Most of the evidence was conjecture and hearsay, which Freed had spun into a good case. But the accused was innocent, and Freed couldn't stop thinking about it.

"You okay?" Evergreen asked in a whisper. The court had been placed under a short recess, meaning they could speak freely. "You look off your game."

"I'm fine," Freed dismissed weakly, then adding. "It seems we'll win, doesn't it?"

"It does," Evergreen said, tone also more downtrodden than it should be. So she was feeling it too; that was disappointing. Freed had hoped she might tell him to get over himself. Instead, she tapped him on the hand gently to comfort him, and spoke again in a soft voice. "What else can we do; it's the defences job to keep him out, not ours."

"I know," Freed admitted. "But look at him."

They both glanced towards the man sitting in the dock, and Freed felt guilt building steadily. The man was still crying, looking towards his husband who had witnessed the entire case. Both men looked miserable, and Freed was to blame for it. He shouldn't be thinking like this – he should be focusing on the fact that he had won the trial – but what good was winning when he knew that the wrong man was getting punished?

No, he couldn't let that happen. The reason he had taken this career was to make sure the streets were safer, and that bad people faced their comeuppance. Not only would he be locking away a good person, but he would also be letting a bad person get away with murder. That was unacceptable.

"I'm going to request a trial extension," He said suddenly, forcing the words out before he could second-guess himself. "I'll say I have more evidence to give and that I would call for a mistrial should I not be able to show it."

"Why?" Evergreen asked. "And what evidence?"

"The CCTV," Freed said, voice a little solemn.

The CCTV footage had been given to them as additional evidence, but Freed had dismissed it instantly. It showed the murderer following the victim to the location where he was eventually killed. While the man on the tape did have a similar profile and features to the accused, close analysis showed a scar on his upper forearm, one that Freed knew the accused didn't have, clearly showing the murderer to be another man. The footage also contained a timestamp in the bottom corner, which meant if there was any proof of the accused not being there, the evidence would go against the prosecution. The defence would only need to have someone testify that the accused was elsewhere at that time, and then Freed's entire case would be put in a new, unfavourable light. They could the use the scar on his arm to further discredit Freed, and start to dismantle his case in its entirety. Freed hadn't believed it when the police gave him such a counterproductive piece of evidence, because using it would practically be suicide. It was exactly what he needed.

"Are you sure?" Evergreen whispered. "You've already told the police that it'll ruin our chances. They'll kill you if you use it."

"I can deal with them," Freed dismissed, flicking through his files and pulling out the stills from the footage. "Just make sure they think we believe it's in our best interest, okay?"

Evergreen nodded, and Freed approached the judge with the evidence in hand. The man looked down at him with confusion, and Freed laid out his request: he wished to extend the proceedings because of new evidence that was found. The judge seemed hesitant, but allowed Freed to show the stills. After looking at them for a few moments, he sighed and leant back in his chair, calling over the defence.

Laxus walked up, posture sharp and professional. In all the cases where they had argued against one another, this had been the first time Laxus had been openly hostile to Freed. Freed understood it; he was trying to convict a man that anyone with a brain could see was innocent, and he was winning.

"Mr Dreyar," Warrod, the judge, began. "Mr Justine has requested a trial extension based on new evidence. I've looked over the evidence and believe it pertinent to the case."

"Fucks sake," Laxus muttered under his breath. He was clearly angry, thinking that Freed was further trying to prove the man's guilt.

"Watch your language in this courtroom, son," Warrod snapped, and Laxus grunted out a small apology. "Now, given the relevance of this evidence, I've accepted his request and we will continue with proceedings tomorrow, rather than asking the jury their verdict later today as I had planned. The court will be dismissed for the rest of the day, so you have time to analyse this evidence. I assume you are both pleased with this?"

They both said a 'yes, your honour' before turning from the judge. Laxus was still tense and ready to attack in his stance, and they walked side by side by side back to their respective benches. Laxus spoke first.

"You really need more evidence?" He growled. "You ain't fucked his life up enough already?

"It's CCTV of the murderer following the victim into the warehouse," Freed informed quietly. Form the corner of his eye he could see Laxus falter in his step slightly. Freed continued speaking, voice low and quiet. "He has a scar on his arm that your man won't have, use it. And it has a timecode and date on the footage, if you can get evidence of him being anywhere else at that time then do so. Once you've done that, question who the man in the footage actually is; the jury will start to doubt what I've said, and you'll win. Understand?"

"Why are you-"

"I'm being generous, so don't waste it," Freed muttered, turning his back to Laxus to look over his files. He continued talking in a quiet voice, knowing Laxus would be listening. "Be warned, I'm going to try and convince the jury that the CCTV works in my favour. I will twist it in any way I can to get him imprisoned. It's still my job to get him convicted, as it's your job to stop me. I've given you a tool so you can better do your job, so you better do it. Understand?"

"Yes," Laxus said after a moment. "Thank you."

"Make sure you make the most of it," Freed responded, sitting in his chair again. His face was the impassive, emotionless mask that he normally wore in trial.

Nobody else would know what Freed had just done. That he had forsaken his obligation to do whatever he could to get the guilty verdict, and that for the first time in his career he hadn't done everything he could to win. He had conceded a victory and, as the judge used the gavel to announce the trial's extension, he felt the guilt slowly ebb away.

* * *

**4: When He First Assisted Him.**

"Thanks for coming," Laxus said, opening the door.

Freed walked into Laxus' apartment with a small amount of hesitation. There was technically nothing wrong with what he was doing, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow betraying an unwritten rule of being a prosecution lawyer.

It had been late at night when Laxus had contacted him. After the case where Freed had conceded a victory to let an innocent man walk free, Laxus had insisted on buying Freed a drink in thanks. They got to talking, and their simmering rivalry had developed into something of a friendship, and at the end of the night they had swapped numbers. It hadn't been anything more than that, and they hadn't texted nor called one another since it had happened. The only real difference had been their meetings in the hallway of the courthouse had been more amicable, which Freed had to admit he did prefer.

But Laxus calling him was something new, and Freed hadn't been sure how to deal with it. This feeling doubled when Laxus had asked for his help.

"It's fine," Freed assured him, walking into Laxus' living room.

Laxus' apartment was a small, messy place. Paperwork was scattered everywhere, all surrounding the sofa where Freed assumed Laxus would've been sitting moments ago. Despite having practiced law for a year – successfully so – Laxus hadn't invested in a better place to live. It was cramped and probably below Laxus' needs, but it was charming.

"Well I appreciate it," Laxus claimed, shutting the door behind Freed. "You sure you're okay helping me?"

"So long as you're not against anyone from my firm, it should be fine," Freed dismissed, picking up the case file and opening it.

It was a large case, that everyone in the Magnolia area had heard about through the news, and it was most likely Laxus' most high-profile trial. The media focus around the case meant a lot of attention would be put on Laxus, and it was clear that he wanted to do everything he could to ensure a victory. When he'd asked Freed for his help, he had lacked his usual flirtation, instead speaking with the same level of sincerity and honesty that he used when working.

He was holding himself differently. Glancing up from the file, he looked at Laxus properly. His usual perfectly styled hair was a mess, his suit had been replaced by jeans and a tee, and thick rimmed glasses framed his eyes. He was still handsome, but in a different way.

He was hotter like this. Not that it was an appropriate thought to have.

"Who are you going against, out of interest," Freed asked, distracting himself from the man in front of him. "The media's been cagey about it."

"Minerva Orland."

"Damn, she can be brutal," Freed tutted slightly.

"Yeah, I've heard," Laxus agreed, taking a seat on his sofa, and looking over the mass of paperwork. He looked a little downtrodden, though that might jut be how he was when he wasn't performing in a trial. "You think you can help me?"

"I'll do what I can," Freed promised, placing the evidence down. "Let's start, shall we."

For the rest of the night they looked through the evidence, testimonies, and paperwork relevant to the case. Laxus laid out his key arguing points to Freed, explaining what he intended to do and what the ideal scenario would be. Freed acted in place of Minerva, trying to counter all of the arguments Laxus was making as best he could. With the statements that he couldn't argue against, Freed dissected them as best he could. He asked as many questions as he could about the witnesses Laxus planned, pointed out any flaws he could find in the evidence, and poked as many flaws in the testimonies as he could. He was intending to dissect Laxus' entire argument to highlight every weak point, because that's what Minerva would be doing.

It was a long evening, and part way through Laxus had ordered them both a pizza to keep them going. By the time Freed felt he had fully assessed all of Laxus' arguments, it was nearly one in the morning. The discarded cups of tea and coffee cluttered the coffee table, and both men were running low on energy. But it had been a good night; Freed found that he enjoyed this kind of work when he didn't have to worry about losing. His job had a lot of pressure, it wasn't always good.

"I think we've done enough for tonight," Laxus groaned, voice groggy now as he slid his glasses atop his head. "Thank you for this."

"You needn't, it was enjoyable," Freed said, standing up and cracking his back. He'd been hunched over the paperwork for far too long. He started to walk to the door, picking up his coat. "I hope the trial goes well for you; you've got more than enough to keep your client out so long as there's nothing unforeseen from the prosecution."

"Are you going?" Laxus said with a frown. "It's pretty late. You can sleep here if you'd like, the sofa's pretty comfortable."

Freed thought for a moment. Some might say that it would be inappropriate to take the offer from someone he may argue against in court, but those people would have claimed everything Freed had done in the evening was inappropriate and that hadn't stopped him. He and Laxus were friends, even if it was a somewhat unconventional situation, and sleeping on a friend's house wasn't something anyone could have a problem with. And it wasn't as if anyone was going to find out, so why let it bother him?

"If you don't mind," Freed agreed.

"Nah," Laxus dismissed. "Let me just clean up."

Laxus began to pick up the papers and file them, and Freed watched him with curiousity. He had only seen the man in his legal element, so watching him in a more domestic setting was interesting. It was stupid that Freed found himself charmed when he caught Laxus absently straightening out a cushion as he moved the papers to a filing cabinet.

Rather than standing and watching, Freed walked to the coffee table and picked up the discarded mugs and plates. He moved to Laxus' small kitchen and started to stack the dishwasher. Maybe he was overstepping the mark, but Freed would rather do something than stand and watch.

"You don't need to do that," Laxus said, walking from the now tidy living room and into the kitchen.

"Nonsense," Freed waved off the complaint. "At least half of these were mine, and if you're giving me a place to sleep then I should help."

Laxus didn't say anything, instead leaning against the counter and watching as Freed placed the rest of the crockery in the dishwasher. It was a quick chore, and Freed closed it a moment later. Once he was standing upright, he turned to Laxus and saw just how close the man was standing. They were chest to chest, and Laxus' gentle breathing was near audible for Freed. He looked to Laxus a little taken aback, and found himself trapped by the mans intense gaze. Laxus' eyes flickered over Freed's face for a moment, before a soft, almost regretful smile formed over his features.

"I shouldn't have asked you to come here," He laughed a little, voice quiet. Melancholy.

"Was my advice not helpful?" Freed asked, not understanding where the comment had come from.

"No, it was invaluable," Laxus said, and his voice was still that same reluctant amused tone. It didn't help Freed understand Laxus' words any further. "But that doesn't change the fact I shouldn't've let you come here. It complicates things."

"How?" Freed asked, a little irritated at the vagueness now.

"You know when we first met, I caught ya checkin' me out," Laxus laughed, and Freed narrowed his eyes. Laxus was changing the subject. He focused on his annoyance, rather than on the heat creeping up his neck. "And I was checkin' you out at the same time. You were hot, you were interested, and you were my opponent. I kinda thought it'd be fun to piss you off, y'know. Kinda stupid, but I thought you'd be the uptight bastard kinda lawyer who needed to loosen up. Best way to loosen a guy up is to fluster him; that's what I thought I'd do. Flash a smile, get in yer head just a little bit once we finished our work, just to see what happened. Didn't think you'd end up being like this."

"Like what?"

"A good guy," Laxus shrugged. "The kinda guy who risks pissing off his client because he knows when he's backing the wrong side. The kinda guy who'll spend a night helping me on something even though you got nothing out of it. The kinda guys who'll help me clean my apartment and doesn't mention that it's kinda crappy even though we both know it is," Laxus laughed to himself again, looking up at the ceiling. "It would've been a hell of a lot easier if you were the uptight guy with a nice ass. You kinda fucked me over by being a good man, Freed. Bastard."

Ah. That was the issue…

So the flirtatious undertones of their relationship hadn't been solely in Freed's head. Laxus had felt it too – indulged in it in the same way Freed had at the start of their friendship – and that was a problem. Freed having a ridiculous crush on the man was something he could ignore; Laxus apparently having similar feelings made that difficult.

"You too huh?" Laxus laughed, and Freed sighed then nodded. "It's a bitch, ain't it?"

"It's not ideal," Freed agreed.

"Not really, no," Laxus chuckled, eyes flicking over Freed's face again. They lingered on Freed's lips for a moment. "Why couldn't you just be on my side?"

"I could ask the same of you," Freed sighed.

There was a moment of silence between them. Freed found his gaze flicking over Laxus; a dishevelled and tired version of the man he had gotten to know over the past few months. He looked softer at home, more human. But he knew the intelligent legal monster was still fizzing below the surface of the mellow persona. The man was a powerhouse in every sense of the word; in passion, mind, and body. Laxus personified intensity, and Freed had always been attracted to men who could be intense. It was a truth that Freed had been ardently pushing to the back of his mind in every interaction he'd had with Laxus; he was perhaps the perfect man for Freed, in all ways but his career.

"What do you think we should do now then?" Laxus asked, and Freed closed his eyes a little resignedly. It wasn't a pleasant conversation to have, but now that everything was out in the air, they needed to think of a solution.

"The only thing we can do," He said, voice a little quiet. "Go back to how we used to be and hope it works out."

"I guess so. I'm gonna miss being friendly with ya, even if we only did it for a few weeks," He chuckled, but a look of regret flashed over his features. He quickly schooled it. "Y'know, considerin' we spent the first few months we knew each other pissing each other off," Laxus said again, still looking up to the ceiling. "I'm pretty sure you'll forgive me if I do it one more time."

"What do you-"

Freed was cut off when Laxus' large hand clasped the back of his neck. He was dragged forward and against Laxus' body, head tilted up in a smooth movement. He was pulled flush against the man's broad torso, with Laxus cradling his neck as he lowered himself down. Freed's stomach fluttered, and he felt himself leaning forward despite everything his good sense was telling him.

And when they kissed, it was magic.

* * *

**5: When He First Woke Beside Him**

When Freed woke up, it was in an unfamiliar bed and with a strong arm pulling him into an equally strong chest.

A flush of panic spread throughout Freed, and the flashes of memories hit him instantly. The night of helping Laxus with his case, the conversation he'd had where they both spoke of their attraction for each other, the indescribable kiss they shared, the way Laxus had tugged him towards his bedroom, the way they stripped one another of their clothes and climbed into the bed while kissing and touching each other. Everything was vividly clear to him, rushes of the mistakes he had made through the night.

And it was a mistake! He had to see it as a mistake, because if he even considered the previous night to be the pleasure filled time that it was, then he was screwed. It was a mistake. A big mistake that couldn't be repeated.

He quickly untangled himself from Laxus' grasp, leaving the bed and pacing around the bedroom. This was bad. Sleeping with the head of the defence was essentially the definition of a conflict of interest. There were only so many lawyers in Magnolia that worked at their level, it was inevitable that they'd have to work against each other. Who would hire a prosecution lawyer who fucked his opponent?

"Freed," A tired voice croaked.

They'd have to disclose it to judges. His reputation would be tarnished, and that was being optimistic. People would talk, the stories would get exaggerated, but they'd be believed. And Freed had antagonised people, all of whom now had a reason to call his conduct into question. Dammit!

"Freed, calm the fuck down," The voice spoke again.

Why had he not controlled himself? Was he a teenager again, willing to succumb to a small amount of charm from a man with a nice body? He had spent years crafting a successful career in which he gained a reputation for good conduct and fearful proficiency in his field. That would all be destroyed when this got out; and it would get out, because things like this always did get out. His career was dead, all for a night with a man he felt a stupid attraction for.

"Freed, stop fucking pacing," Laxus yelled this time, getting Freed's attention.

He turned to the man who's bed he had just shared. Laxus was sitting up now, with the covers pooled around his waist. His perfectly built body was there to see in its entirety, the tattoo that had driven Freed wild the night before still damn sexy.

Laxus' face was tired, and he looked to Freed with half lidded eyes. His hair was a mess, most likely from the sleep as well as their activities. His sleep-worn expression elected the same warm, comforting feeling that Laxus' domesticity had created the night before, and Freed had to look away. It was bad enough that Freed had seen – and used, apparently – Laxus as a sexual object, he didn't need to further ruin things by finding his disjointed hair and sullen, sleepy frown endearing. That was too far.

"Sit down," Laxus demanded, nodding to the side of the bed that Freed had been sleeping on. "And breathe."

Freed, with sharp and stilted movements, did as he was told. He sat on the bed, back to Laxus in a weak attempt to avoid both distraction and the memories of the last night; but when his eyes fell to Laxus' discarded clothes he was reminded of stripping the other man, and dread filled him yet again. He closed his eyes, and focused on his breathing.

A hand clasped on his shoulder, cold and attention grabbing. Freed paused under it, frozen still. Laxus' hands were large, and near physical memories of them roaming his body assaulted him in an instant. He shrugged the hand off, still breathing as calmly as he could.

"Easy," Laxus said, voice throaty and hoarse. "Take your ti-"

"Why aren't you panicking?" Freed snapped, interrupting whatever soothing words Laxus intended to say. "Your career is newer than mine. Should people find out, you're more vulnerable than me. You should be panicking."

"You're doing enough of that for both of us," Laxus murmured, and Freed glared at him. "We're gonna focus on calmin' you down, yeah. Then we talk."

Before Freed could argue, Laxus was rattling off the same techniques that they had both used to clam an emotional witness in a case. Laxus didn't give him a second to interject nor interrupt, occupying his mind with constant talking and instructions on how to breathe. It worked to an extent, and Freed found the haze of panic that had overtaken him slowly being replace by a nervous dread. It wasn't good, but it was better.

As Freed focused on his breathing, Laxus moved to sit beside him. In a display of chivalry that irritated Freed because of its thoughtfulness, Laxus moved to cover both of their laps with the blanket. He wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders, giving him quiet instructions as he did so.

It took a while, longer than Freed was proud of, but he started to calm down.

"It ain't the end of the world," Laxus eventually said, voice low but not as sleepy as it had been before. Freed looked down at his lap, unable to meet Laxus' eye.

"It's the end of our careers," He muttered.

"You don't know that," Laxus said firmly. "People fuck, it happens. We ain't the only people who've hooked up when we shouldn't have. We ain't the only defence and prosecution who slept together, and I know that we won't get in trouble for something like this. My father was literally bribing judges and he barely got in trouble, so a one-night stand ain't gonna do anything."

"What kind of person would hire a lawyer who would have slept with the leader of the opposition?"

"Who's gonna tell 'em? As far as I see it, this is our business," Laxus rebutted, and then cracked a smile. "And if they do find out, I'll show 'em how good your ass looks in a suit and they'll understand."

"Don't make jokes," Freed snapped.

"Sorry," Laxus put a hand up in surrender, the other still wrapped around Freed's shoulders. "Honestly, I didn't think it'd fuck you up this bad. It's not like you've never flaunted the rules in yer work before?"

"The hell does that mean?"

"You purposefully folded in a trial against me, a couple months back. And you helped me make a case to keep someone out of jail," Laxus shrugged, not moving his arm from around Freed's shoulder despite how he tensed slightly at the claims. "They ain't the actions of a guy who follows rules to the letter."

"They were innocent," Freed muttered, looking to the floor again.

"I know," Laxus agreed. "Doesn't change the fact that you have to prosecute, not defend. It's your obligation to prove that they're guilty."

"Well, yes. Legally that's true," Freed was speaking to the floor now. "But surely, ethically speaking, if I can be sure that someone is innocent and can help them avoid the repercussions that someone else should be facing, then I should help them. It's a moral obligation, is it not?"

"I'm not disagreeing with ya," Laxus shrugged. "I'm glad you helped, could've really hurt some good people if you didn't. And I'm glad that you're listening to what your morals are telling ya," He grabbed Freed by the chin, in a way far too similar to what he had done the night prior. "And I think you should stop beating yourself up, and instead realise that nobody's gonna get pissed if you take a night off from your job to treat yourself."

Freed scoffed. "You're a treat, are you?"

"The scratches coverin' my back seems to say I am," Laxus grinned.

"Stop making light of it," Freed demanded, though with no force behind the words. It felt as though the panic had been replaced by dullness.

"Sure, if you answer a question for me," Laxus promised. "When did you lose your passion for your work?"

If Freed were in a less vulnerable state he might have denied the claim. He'd been denying it to himself for a while now, claiming that just because he didn't feel quite as righteous as he once had, and that he didn't feel the same burning passion for upholding the law when he walked into a courtroom, didn't mean he had become disenchanted with what he did. But in a simple, small sentence, Laxus perfectly captured something that had been months in the making. Freed no longer cared about his work.

He couldn't answer Laxus' question because there wasn't a single moment that caused it. Slowly, he had started to question himself. He was no longer sure that prosecution was always the correct way to end things. And with that lack of certainty, came a lack of passion. That was why he had broken all those rules. In retrospect, it seemed obvious.

And as he thought back, he realised there was an answer to the question.

"When I met you," Freed admitted. "You've effectively ruined me, Mr Dreyar. If I were a better man I might be rather angry at you."

"I'm sorry," Laxus said with more sincerity than Freed's words merited.

"Don't be. The unfortunate truth is that you've made me a better person," Freed sighed, leaning against Laxus slightly. Laxus pulled him closer. "When I was arguing with people like your father, it was easy to say I was on the side of righteousness. That everyone who was accused of something was guilty because if they weren't, they wouldn't have to rely on a man like Ivan. And then you show up, being optimistic and kind and actually showing that people can be good. You've made a black and white situation very grey; rather unkind of you."

Freed laughed a little, and Laxus rested his cheek against the top of Freed's head. They sat in silence for a moment, Freed thinking through the repercussions of what he had just said. Because now he'd voiced the situation, he couldn't ignore it. He had to do something.

"I have to quit, don't I?"

"Not my place to say."

"I have to quit," Freed repeated, and the freeing sensation was overwhelming. After a moment, he spoke again. "And, if today is the day I change my life, I might as well make the most of it."

Freed turned, pushing himself from Laxus chest and looking towards the other man. He cupped his cheek gently, eyes closing as he leant forward. Laxus did the same, shifting his position and leaning into Freed's kiss. There was less heat in it than there had been before, but it was arguably better for it. The movements were slow, allowing the two men to meld into one another. Their noses grazed and their tongues butted as they opened their mouths, pulling closer into one another.

With a hand resting on Laxus' thigh, Freed continued to lean forward. Laxus was resting with his back against the mattress a moment later, Freed slowly kissing him while straddling him.

The night before was tinged with foreboding and regret. But that moment wasn't. That moment was just the two of them, and it was perfect.

* * *

**+1: When He Last Left the Courthouse**

Stepping out of the old building was more freeing that Freed could have believed. The warm summer sun hit his face as he walked down the steps and into Magnolia's town square. He didn't look over his shoulder at the building where so much of his life had been centred. Despite the importance the place held, he felt no nostalgia as he left it. He was no longer going to be practicing law in Magnolia, and it was a good feeling.

His last case had come to its completion, with Freed's victory being a perfect bookend for his time in criminal law. It was as if a pressure was lifted from him with each step he took, leaving a life of uncertainty and stress behind him.

At some point, he would have to work on his new career in legal advice. He had plans to set up his own company, offering advice to those who needed it and referrals to the lawyers he knew when required. But he didn't want to think about it in that moment. He had a more optimistic future to begin, and he was relishing the sensation.

Almost as much as he was relishing the sight of Laxus, leaning against the square's ornate fountain.

He approached his boyfriend, the idyllic setting of a summer day in Magnolia a perfect accompaniment for the beautiful man before him. Laxus was wearing the normal combination of a t-shirt and jeans he tended to favour when not working, and was holding a coffee that Freed knew would be for him. He looked perfect there, a normal man that Freed was lucky to call his partner. And although Freed wished Laxus could have been in the court to watch his final trial, the sight of him in the sunlight, looking entirely at piece, more than made up for it.

Rather than taking the coffee offered to him, Freed wrapped his arms around Laxus' neck and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. Laxus seemed to falter for a second, before melting into it as much as he could holding two hot drinks.

"So," Laxus grinned as they pulled apart. "We're public now, huh?"

"There's no reason to hide it any more, is there?" Freed shrugged, a carefree smile on his face.

"Guess there's not," Laxus smiled, leaning down, and pecking Freed's lips. "Trial went well, I assume?"

"Of course," Freed smiled

As they walked, Freed gave Laxus a play-by-play of his final day in the courthouse. They were animated and happy as they walked, leaving the shadow of the courthouse behind them. The sun beating down on them felt significant, an optimistic tone for the rest of Freed's life. Though it was nothing compared to the man walking beside him, laughing amusedly at his jokes, and adding the occasional comment as they left.

It was a small, nearly inconsequential moment. But having Laxus beside him as he walked away made it feel momentous, and at that moment, that was all Freed needed.


End file.
